Research

The research of the Virtual Worlds and Digital Games Group focuses on technologies and applications of so-called MediatedReality.

Mediated reality is commonly understood as the technology-based alteration of the individual perception of the environment. On the one hand, this can be done by integrating additional virtual content into reality so that it becomes part of it and is no longer recognizable as artificial content (augmented reality). On the other hand, content can also be removed from reality without this being recognizable (diminished reality).

Technologies

For the realization of Mediated Reality a number of different basic technologies are required. Within the scope of our research work we deal with, among others:

  • Augmented Reality

  • Diminished Reality/Real-time Video-Inpainting

  • Computer-vision based tracking techniques

  • Global real-time illumination methods

  • Natural user interfaces

Application areas

The basic technologies for MediatedReality can be used in a variety of different application scenarios. In the context of our current research we focus on the following areas

  • Digital games (Mixed Reality Games/Pervasive Games/Alternate Reality Games).

  • Video editing tools

Implications

In the context of student projects (with students from the social and economic sciences) we also deal with the following aspects of MediatedReality:

  • Usage and Acceptance

  • Market potential and analysis

  • Ethical aspects